I headed to the range with my 1911, a case of Winchester 230 grain ball and a couple hundred rounds of Cor-Bon 185 grain JHP (the gun rags of that day told you to shoot 200 rounds of your defensive load of choice). I have a few 1911s I dont shoot, some have rails, some dont, but the spec rail of the Colt made fit difficult. Nonetheless, the Marines had been eagerly waiting for the new .45s, and they were going directly into operational use, so there was little patience for a learning curve, and many of the Marines demanded a change. How about that? A variant of the M1911, it has been the standard-issue side arm for the Force Recon Element of the United States Marine Corps' Marine Expeditionary Units since 1985. USMC Colt Custom Shop, Pelican case - might be as high as 800 made. It's a carry gun, not a collection piece. The only thing I would change about it would be to checker the front strap. The early finish problems encountered by the Marines were all fixed by the time the first 1,000 units had been issued. The USMC is about double the price and if I understand correctly, its a production gun from Colt whereas the civilian version goes through the custom shop - is that correct? The Custom Shop price list indicates theyll checker the front strap at either 20 or 25 lpi for $260. Having read quite a bit of gun rags (this was the in mid 1990s during the pre internet days), I knew I needed a 1911 chambered in a mans cartridge, 45 ACP. Interestingly, many of these very same pistols recently hit the civilian market in a way that took military enthusiasts and collectors completely by surprise. Hello - I am looking at 2 Colts - one is the Colt M45A1 (custom shop w/ green pelican case) and the other is the Colt M45A1 with the USMC roll marks. Never miss a post! Copyright2016-2023 DigitoolmediaSrls VATNo. There is slight movement and a feel of roll through the break, but I wouldnt necessarily call it creep in a negative sense. This is important in a gun meant to endure nearly as many rounds in the weeks-long Marine Raider training regimen as the original M1911 was intended to see throughout its entire service life. Examples of both are usually exorbitantly-priced and something only a former Marine or hardcore collector of USGI 1911s would want to pursue. The Picatinny accessories rail is machined on the slide, Colt's M45A1 comes with a 5" National Match barrel, The sample of this pictures mounts Trijicon night sights. Jun 21, 2013 1911, 45 Auto, Colt .45, Colt 1911, Colt M45, Colt Marine Corps 1911, Colt O1017CQB, feature, Marine Corps pistol. I was an active duty Marine from 1992 to 1996, and at that time the standard issue. Get your piece of American history before is gone. That is quite a service legacy for any military firearm. Colt's Manufacturing Company - firearms, handguns, pistols, rifles, revolvers. About that time, the Custom Shop was downsized and no more of the Custom Shop M45A1s were made. It is assigned NATO Stock Number 1005-01-370-7353. Remember me, IN 95% ORIGNAL CONDITION, ALL MATCHING WITH AN EXCELLENT BORE, WE HAVE A NICE SOLID MAUSER C96 BROOMHANDLE IN 9MM, IN 97% VERY CRISP ORIGINAL CONDITION, WE HAVE A VERY RARE AND SIGNIFICANT LUGER. The grip safety features an extended beavertail. The Colt M45A1 is the new USMC service pistol. We had to shoot the .38 military special (which was horrible). The contract was said to be worth $22.5M to Colt. When it was first launched, the Colt M45A1 was described as "a highly enhanced version of an already excellent combat weapon" by William F. Keys a retired Lieutenant General of the United States Marine Corps who was also Colt's President and CEO back then. The M45A1 proved exceptionally stable and accurate at the range. ) Black Hills 200-gr. NEW IN THE COLT ISSUED BLUE BOX EXACTLY AS WAS SHIPPED TO THE USMC. It is bug enough - yet snug enough to retain the M45A1 and other railed 5" 1911s. He told me the extractor and ammunition were bad. Copyright 2023 National Rifle Association, Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. Hammer Women Of Distinction Award, Women's Wildlife Management / Conservation Scholarship, National Youth Shooting Sports Cooperative Program, By the Decade: Wiley Clapps Favorite HandgunThe 1960s, Guns of the Devil Dogs: U.S. Marine Corps Small Arms Of World War I, Trijicon 1-8X VCOG Selected as USMC Squad Common Optic, Benelli M4: A Top-Selling Tactical Shotgun, Cabot Guns Celebrates American Craftsmanship | An Official Journal Of The NRA, 150 Years Of The Colt Single Action Army | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Fightin' Iron: A Valuable Anachronism | An Official Journal Of The NRA, #SundayGunday: Colt King Cobra Target .22 LR | An Official Journal Of The NRA, New For 2023: Harrington & Richardson Retro AR-15s, The Model Of 1903 Springfield: A Collector's Perspective, The Keefe Report: True Velocity's Leap | An Official Journal Of The NRA, The Keefe Report: On The Range With An American Hero | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Trust But Verify: Function-Checking Your Guns | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Remington Returns: The Revival Of An Ammunition Giant | An Official Journal Of The NRA, WATCH: 2022 National Sporting Clays Championship | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, WATCH: Colt Python Revolver History | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, I Have This Old Gun: Maynard Carbine | An Official Journal Of The NRA, I Have This Old Gun: Winchester Model 12 Riot Gun | An Official Journal Of The NRA, I Have This Old Gun: Remington Model 51 | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Armed Citizen protected by Smith & Wesson, The Armed Citizen March 3, 2023 | An Official Journal Of The NRA, NRA Women | The Armed Citizen March 3, 2023, BEAR Arms: Making The Switch From Gun Owner to Armed Citizen | An Official Journal Of The NRA, NRA Women | The Armed Citizen February 17, 2023, X-Vision Optics Launches Thermal Impact Scope | An Official Journal Of The NRA, NRA Hunters' Leadership Forum | Veronica Kosich Receives NRA-Sponsored Diana Award at SCI Convention, Henry Supports Fallen Firefighters Foundation | An Official Journal Of The NRA, NRA Hunters' Leadership Forum | Freedom Hunters: Giving Back to Americas Veterans through Hunting and the Great Outdoors, Hardware: SIG Sauer P320-XTEN | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Rifleman Review: Smith & Wesson M&P12 | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Review: Ruger 10/22 Compact | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, Rifleman Review: Taurus G3X | An Official Journal Of The NRA, Video Review: Springfield Armory XD-M Elite 4.5 OSP in 10mm Auto | NRA Family, Springfield Armory XD-M Elite 4.5 OSP In 10 mm Auto, Video Review: KelTec P15 Semi-Auto Pistol | NRA Family, Video Review: Savage Stance Pistol | NRA Family, Preview: Leupold 2-10X 30 mm Mark 5HD Riflescope | An Official Journal Of The NRA, NRA Women | New for 2022: 20-Gauge Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus, Preview: Springfield Armory 1911 DS Double-Stack 9 mm Pistol Lineup | An NRA Shooting Sports Journal, Find More Great NRA Publications Perfect For Every Interest, Discover Everything That The NRA Has To Offer. in the shooters hands was the measure of the pistols accuracy. In July 2012, the United States Marine Corps System Command announced that Colt Defense LLC of Hartford, Connecticut, was the winner of the new CQBP pistol contract. The pistols are exceptional purely as shooters, and scarce and significant for several military and historic reasons. Out of stock. It was largely (maybe entirely) unannounced and seemed odd, or even suspect, but there was a factory letter from Colt to guarantee authenticity. THESE PISTOLS WERE BUILT FOR THE USMC BY NOVAK FOR COLT, AND THERE WERE NOT MANY MADE. Under normal circumstances, yes too much by $400, assuming it is a M45A1 rollmark. While not as corrosion resistant, it is far more durable of a finish. Colt also offers a custom shop civilian model to achieve higher accuracy; but the Marine issue model is the production grade pistol. I recently came across a passage from Jeff Cooper written in 1961 that read, the big pistol [1911] has been with us for half a century, and as yet no better sidearmfor serious combat workhas been devised. It is a testament to the enduring nature of the M1911 that a full 50 years later the Corps was issuing the latest version of the design in the M45A1. Six right-handed grooves, 1 twist in 16", Novak LoMount or Trijicon high-visibility sights with Tritium dots, Machined stainless steel frame and slide With the exception of the overtly poor, reloaded cartridge, the Colt M45A1 was 100% reliable and the front sight didnt fly off. Customer experience was, and still is, the primary focus, a key to the firms longevity and success. A large batch, rumored to be nearly 1,000 pistols, hit the Gunbroker auction site (gunbroker.com) described as decommissioned USMC 1911 M45A1s. The "U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, Model of 1903," better-known as the M1903 Springfield, has become one of the most popular U.S. military small arms to collect. When I sat down to write this story, I did my best to research the quantities of each type of pistol made and to get an idea of what might be available. We decided to install Heine Ledge sights on our Series 80 Stainless Officers ACP. VERY RARE AND VERY COLLECTIBLE! Colt M45A1 Custom Shop (O1070CQB) $2,149.95 Colt Out of stock Quick view Out of stock Colt Government Model With Rail - (O1980RG) $1,154.95 Colt Quick view Add to Cart COLT LE6920 $1,349.95 Sale Out of stock Quick view Out of stock Colt Government Model Stainless With Rail - (O1070RG) $1,198.00 $1,079.95 $1,198.00 NEW IN THE BOX, WE HAVE A COLT USMC CLOSE QUARTERS BATTLE PISTOL M45A1. The letter also confirms the features including Desert Tan Cerakote finish, under barrel accessory rail, National Match grade barrel, forward and rear cocking serrations on the slide, long solid aluminum trigger, extended ambidextrous thumb safety, extended beavertail grip safety, flat serrated mainspring housing with a lanyard loop, Novak 3-dot night sights, and desert camouflage G10 composite grips. I still like my M45A1 (not the Custom Shop or USMC Issue gun) with it's matching knife by Ohio Knife Maker, Mickey Yurco: Dave I use a Galco Model Number FL212. In other cases on specific guns, the finish was not wearing as durably as expected. Not all civilian M45s go through the Custom Shop. In Oct. 2016 the U.S. Marine Corps announced Glock 19s would replace the .45 ACP-chambered Colt M45A1s carried by members of its Marine Expeditionary Unit Special Operations Capable (MEUSOC) teams. You just need to be willing to spend the money it takes to grab a true jewel of firearm technology. I bought a used Generation 2 Glock 19 to shoot the rest of the time I was home, before heading back to my duty station in MCAGCC, 29 Palms, CA, a few thousand miles away. My M45A1 has had hundreds of rounds put through it, both ball and JHP, and has not experienced any type of failure. I'll be content with mine in Ion Bond marked M45A1 in the blue box. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The gun ran well. Cycling the pistols revealed the fit to be smooth but clearly tighter than a typical commercial M1911. JavaScript is disabled. The M45A1 CQBP pistol is issued with Wilson black metal single-stack magazines, holding 7+1 rounds. He somehow managed to convince me to shoot one of his reloads. Brand new IonBond blue box can be had for less than $1500. And yet, a lot of gun enthusiasts andcollectors have been happy to wait to get one. Similar to the Custom Shop CQB pistol, this is a production line version of the pistol that the Marines bought for the MARSOC units. If you would like to make an offer for this gun please send an email to southeastgunshots@gmail.com. Colt added this spring assembly to the M45A1 and some of its commercial models with the intent to decrease the battering the pistol takes on recoil. Back in March 2016, the U.S. Army Chief of Staff, General Mark Milley, openly declared to be eyeing the Glock 19 as the next standard service pistol. The only other USMC-marked pistols on the market are the real ones that had been returned to Colt and then re-sold to the civilian market. Smith & Wessons Americas Guardians Program. The Colt M45A1 CQBP pistol is based on the tried and true Series 80 platform: it comes with a single-action trigger, a skeletonized enhanced hammer, an automatic firing pin safety, an ambidextrous frame-mounted manual safety, and an improved and crisp trigger pull - about two kilos or just under 6 lbs. Unlike the CQB pistol, this one does not have USMC roll marked on the slide, but it does have EGA (Eagle Globe and Anchor- the Marines symbol) as a serial number suffix. The pistols with no front strap checkering are production line guns. With the exception of the overtly poor, reloaded cartridge, the Colt M45A1 was 100% reliable and the front sight didn't fly off. I was at my local gun shop when a Marine was picking up two that he had won. The Colt M45A1 is just as reliable as a perfectly tuned competition-grade custom 1911, except this comes with that level of reliability right out of the factory and rightfully so. Comes with the original box, paperwork, and two magazines. Many of the issued pistols that came to market have the tells of service life: paint pen or spray paint stenciled rack numbers, holster wear, dings or gouges from rough use. Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics, Volunteer At The Great American Outdoor Show, Marion P. Hammer Women Of Distinction Award, Women's Wildlife Management / Conservation Scholarship, National Youth Shooting Sports Cooperative Program, Colt M45A1: A Modernized M1911 For The Marines. [10], The final units as issued to MCSOCOM Det-1 are the Kimber ICQBs with SureFire Integrated Military Pistol Light (IMPL), Dawson Precision rail, Gemtech TRL Tactical Retention Lanyards based upon the jury-rigged telephone cord versions, modified Safariland 6004 holsters, Simonich G-10 Gunner Grips manufactured by Simonich Knives and Strider Knives replaced the original Pachmayr rubber grips, and Wilson Combat's '47D' 8-round magazines. EU Gun Ban: a new Call to Action from Firearms United! It would be hard to improve on this trigger with any kind of upgrade. Stack upon stack of crisp-cornered cardboard boxes weighed down a work bench in the armory of what is now called the Marine Raider Training Center. Rogers, Patrick A. The Colt M45A1 CQBP pistol is based on the tried and true Series 80 platform: it comes with a single-action trigger, a skeletonized enhanced hammer, an automatic firing pin safety, an ambidextrous frame-mounted manual safety, and an improved and crisp trigger pull about two kilos or just under 6 lbs. of weight, with a very short 0.1"/2mm reset. Two Wilson Combat magazines. I am considering having the dealer I bought it from send it back to have Colt correct the finish so it actually covers the entire frame and slide, but Im worried they may go out of business or bankrupt before I get it back. Should you buy one? When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, which supports our community. [9][11] Tritium Novak LoMount sights replaced the originals which were made in-house by the Marines.[9][11]. Then sold the entire lot to the company selling them on Gunbroker. Most of the time standing slow fire at 25 yds. I ran a series of 6-dot and 5-circle drills with my Colt M45A1. The mentioned non-captive, dual recoil spring solves cycling issues that 1911-type pistols usually experience due to spring strengths; a widened and flared ejection window and a polished and coated feeding ramp also address two other key design issues that are known to cause malfunctions on the 1911 pistol platform. That was me who snagged. Trying to see if the USMC needs to find a home. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Wayne is one of the premier pistol smiths in the country. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. The pistol is, IN 92% ORIGINAL CONDITON WHICH IS ALMOST UNHEARD OF IN A RUSSIAN WW2 TOKAREV, WE HAVE A 1942 PRODUCTION TOKAREV, IN 98% ORIGINAL CONDITION, WE HAVE A VERY CRISP EXAMPLE OF A RJ MARKED WALTHER PP. It will still feed from any type of 1911-compatible single stack magazine, as demonstrated by our test through the use of aftermarket MEC-GAR magazines. The prices seemed to stabilize in the mid-$3,000s, and then the pistols largely stopped moving, presumably occupying prized places in safes across the country. this isnt your cheapie m45a1 model. XTP 1.47" Nosler 185-gr. Not all civilian M45s go through the Custom Shop. Im thinking having that done would make my pistol less valuable as a collector item, plus its not a gun Ill shoot very often so my front strap will remain smooth. Following some stop-gap and interim solutions, in 2012 the United States Marine Corps adopted an upgraded variant of the Colt CCU Rail Gun for its special operations capable units aptly dubbed the M45A1 CQBP Close Quarters Battle Pistol. However, the group all remarked that the pistols certainly seemed to be accurate using the government-issue hardball ammunition. It turns out the rear stake of the safety plunger tube broke off causing the safety lock detent to move over the bottom edge of the factory safety. It will fit though. Nearly every time weve shot together, he has had some sort of issue that he usually attributes to ammunition, the gun, recoil spring weight, the magazine, the chamber, extractor fit, lubrication, or maintenance. Comes with the original box, paperwork, and two magazines. Depends on what version of the USMC rollmark. described as decommissioned USMC 1911 M45A1s. 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It must have been a special single shot model. Fast forward twenty years and Im at the same dealer, picking up some transfers and he shows me a Colt M45A1. Due to wear and tear of the MEU(SOC) pistols and increasing numbers of Marine personnel in Force Recon and MARSOC, the U.S. Marines are looking commercially for replacements. The coarse checkering on the multi-colored G10 panels assists in anchoring the handgun, as does an undercut trigger guard which allows a high hand hold. M45A1 - Colt custom shop vs Production version.which should I buy? [14] In 2010, requirements were once more issued for an off-the-shelf system to replace the custom-built pistols. I know what you are thinking, why carry a gun that holds twice as many rounds, weighs less, is more compact, more reliable and costs a third as much- I must be nuts? (LogOut/ Manufactured by Colt and available for commercial and professional sales alike, the M45A1 CQBP has been available to civilian shooters in the United States for quite some time; nowit is available to European gun enthusiasts as well. Every piece of steel in theM45A1is machined to specific tolerances and tested to the specifications put forth by the United States Marine Corps. You may have read our first reviewhere, or our second here. Cleaning kit. JHP handload 1.20" Wilson Combat 200-gr. Firearm Discussion and Resources from AR-15, AK-47, Handguns and more! That cartridge didnt cycle my gun either. when unloaded. The pistols shipped in the original cardboard container with the contract-correct black Wilson Combat seven-round magazine. A source request was sent out to Springfield Armory and the Springfield Operator, based on the FBI's TRP pistol was built. COLT MFG CO INC Marine M45-A1 Colt CCS O1070M45 M45-A1 SA 45ACP 5" 7+1 HAS USMC ROLLMARK on slide PRODUCT INFORMATION Slide Material: Stainless Steel Frame Material: Stainless Steel Slide Finish: Cerakote Brown Coating Frame Finish: Cerakote Brown Coating Model Name: GOVERNMENT Left Slide Mark: COLT*** USMC Right Slide Mark: Colt Government Model I have a local company that can make a kydex holster but I dont like kydex. Despite a host of refinements and enhancements, the new models method of operation and construction remain essentially unchanged from those of the John Browning-designed original. It was largely (maybe entirely) unannounced and seemed odd, or even suspect, but there was a factory letter from Colt to guarantee authenticity.

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